Strong Support Continues After Student’s Death

MOUNT POCONO — A player from Pocono Mountain East High School died Friday night, weeks after he and two others were in a crash in Monroe County.

Many are saddened now, especially after the community came together to rally support and rally for survival.

There were grief counselors at Pocono Mountain East High School Monday if students needed someone to talk with.

Since the crash happened in September, there has been quite a movement in the Poconos to support the two boys critically hurt in the crash, their family and friends called “Stay Strong East.”

After Steve Dienno died, that support effort is even stronger.

Fresh flowers placed over the weekend mark the spot of the crash that has now taken the life of a Pocono Mountain East High School student and football player.

Steven Dienno passed away Friday night after his family says he fought very hard to overcome his injuries. And for a month and a half, friends and families at Pocono Mountain East fought hard to support him.

On and off the field, there have been overwhelming thoughts and prayers devoted to Dienno and Justin Bullock, the other player critically hurt in the wreck.

A big fundraiser has been planned for a while at Big Daddy’s Family Barbeque along Route 611. That’s next week and it’s going ahead as planned. Now organizers expect after what happened with Dienno, it will be even bigger.

“Whether or not you went to Pocono Mountain East, whether you’re a parent, a child, everyone’s feeling this. Everyone is trying to help,” said fundraiser organizer Alyssa Toye.

Toye wore a t-shirt bearing the slogan to all this support. “Stay Strong East” started right after the crash. Even at the crash scene there is now a sticker with the rallying cry.

“It’s kind of a movement now. Stay Strong East has gotten huge. Once you’re a cardinal, you’re always a cardinal. We’re trying to help as much as we can.”

“To find out just recently that he passed away was just devastating,” said Ashley Alers.

A team may have lost its quarterback, students lost a friend, but it appears “Stay Strong East” is even stronger in Steven’s memory.

“He’s so young, and he was involved in the community and doing football and doing what he can and it’s just tragic,” Alers said.

The viewing for Steven Dienno will be Thursday evening at the Bolock Funeral Home in Cresco.

His funeral is Thursday morning at St. Mary of the Mount Catholic Church in Mount Pocono.

His family shared a message on Facebook thanking people for their thoughts and prayers.